


A Season in Aberdaron

by rufus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Afterlife fic, Christmas, M/M, Post - Deathly Hallows, Snupin Santa 2007, Snupin Santa Fest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 20:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/714699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rufus/pseuds/rufus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus Snape and Remus Lupin (and others) meet up on the way to heaven. Heavily influenced <i>Objects of My Affection</i>, by Peter, Bjorn and John.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Season in Aberdaron

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Aleonic.

The afterlife was colder than Severus had expected it would be, and quieter. 

Then someone started blowing a whistle.

He opened his eyes and was surprised to find that . . . wherever he was . . . looked remarkably like Trafalgar Square, though there was a wizard ( _Merlin?_ ) where Nelson was supposed to be. There were people everywhere, dressed in all manner of clothing, and trailing an astonishing assortment of luggage behind them. Severus was additionally startled when he realized that he was also surrounded by an array of trunks, satchels, shopping bags and (most bizarre of all) several hatboxes of various sizes.

More people popped into existence while he was looking around. Severus recognized some of them as current Hogwarts students, while others were strangers. The sight of school ties reminded Severus of Potter, and that he had no idea whether or not the idiot child had done what he was supposed to do. He took a step forward, heart pounding, and scanned the crowd for the much-hated head of unruly black hair. Severus had not gone far when his knee connected with something sharp and he almost fell over a massive wooden trunk that was scraping along the ground behind Remus Lupin.

The werewolf was walking next to his unfortunate wife, and their collection of luggage was even larger than Severus' own. Lupin's expression was stormy, and Severus could see he was struggling with the weight of the over-sized diaper bag that was slung over his shoulder. 

"Potter," Severus gasped, and the werewolf stopped and turned to look at him. "Harry Potter, what's happened to him?"

"He died, Severus," Lupin said, his voice sharper than Snape had ever heard it. "He walked into Voldemort's camp unarmed and sacrificed himself."

 _Merlin, he did it_ , Severus thought, then sat down heavily on one of the larger trunks clustered around his feet and pressed his fingers against the ridges of his eyes. He wondered briefly who had actually killed the Dark Lord – Weasley, perhaps, or an Auror – and took a steadying breath. Doubtless the brat would be showing up any minute now to call him a dirty pervert for having ever looked at Lily Evans, and he was going to need all of his wits about him.

The whistle sounded again, louder, and Severus felt the tides of humanity start to shift around him. Vaguely familiar voices called out _Form up, Gryffindor!_ and _To me, Ravenclaw!_ After a while he dropped his hands and was annoyed to find Lupin and his bride still standing in front of him. The werewolf was glaring at him as if it had been Severus' idea to send the boy to be slaughtered. 

"Come _on_ , Remus," Tonks said. "Dad and the others are waiting for us at the 4th plinth."

Lupin stiffened, but didn't protest. Watching them walk through the crowd, Severus realized that people were probably waiting for _him_ as well. Dumbledore certainly, and possibly ( _hopefully_ ) Lily Evans . . . But to see her, he was probably going to have to endure her arsehole of a husband as well. Scowling, Severus reached into his pocket for his wand and was horrified to find it was missing. He heaved himself to his feet and opened the trunk he had been sitting on, but there was nothing in it but stacks of graying underpants. The next bag he opened was full of crumpled pieces of parchment, and the third was stuffed with vials of poisonous-looking sludge.

Twenty minutes later, Severus had gone through every single piece of his luggage and still not located his wand. He grabbed the last piece, a medium-sized school bag quite like the one he had had at Hogwarts, and began fumbling at the fastenings with shaking fingers. Someone ( _himself?_ ) had tied the cords into quite a complicated knot, however, and made it impossible to open. He was ready to apply brute force to the blasted thing when he heard a low cough from behind him, and spun around.

"Severus Snape?" The man standing in front of him was dressed in plain black robes and wearing a small rucksack on his back. 

He was not carrying any visible weapons, but his dark hair and heavy-lidded eyes indicated he was a member of the House of Black. Severus dropped the bag and took a step backwards.

"I'm Alphard Black," the man continued, his face breaking into a pleasant smile. "I believe you're acquainted with some of my nieces and nephews? Regulus specifically asked that I convey his best regards. He had to sort out the children, or he would have been here himself."

"Yes, sir," Severus managed, his heart clenching at the thought of who the _children_ might be. "I taught your grand-niece and nephew, as well." He was also starting to feel dizzy. _Where_ was his wand? And where were Albus and Potter? 

"Albus also very much wanted to come for you, but he has been . . . unavoidably delayed," Black said, his tone softening slightly. "And you'll not need a wand here, dear boy. Now, do you have your welcome packet? " 

Severus blinked at him a couple of times as confusion replaced anxiety. _Death_ had a _welcome packet?_

"It should be . . . let me see … oh yes, on the trunk, behind you," Black said, and took a few steps closer.

Severus turned around and there was, indeed, a small stack of papers on his trunk that he was _sure_ had not been there before. He kicked a couple of small bags aside and scooped up the papers. The top sheet was a map. The second sheet looked vaguely like his Hogwarts letter, and the rest seemed to be a directory of some sort. 

"We'll want the second sheet first," Black said, and Severus handed it to him. "Hmmm, yes . . . all right . . . you're at the Nimue's Rest, which is . . ." Black flipped the paper over, frowning faintly. "Oh, here we are. In Hywyn, on Blackfriars, next to the quay. Well, that's quite easy to find. Come along, Snape, and we'll get you settled in."

Black turned and started pushing his way through the crowd, and, after a while, Severus followed him. 

"Welcome to Aberdaron," Black said, as they passed out of the square and onto a narrow cobblestoned street. "Hywyn is one of the older bits – full of wild characters. Safe enough, though. My mate Oswald lives just there –" he gestured at a short, squat red brick building which sported a wooden sign depicting a dragon's head engulfed in flames and a tankard of ale. "He says it’s too noisy at night, but he was always a bit dull."

"Mmmm," Severus said, too distracted by the architectural riot going on around them to make a proper reply. 

Besides the pub, there was a stately Georgian townhouse, a sprawling Tudor pile (complete with a small moat in place of its section of pavement), and a small wattle-and-daub cottage thatched with straw. The other side of the street contained a block of council housing capped by a ragged looking park. The further they walked the more eccentric the buildings became. They had just passed an oddly shrunken replica of Kensington Palace when Black finally came to a halt in front of stately stone building with a bright green awning and a dark slate roof. Hanging off a light pole near the front was a delicate piece of ironwork depicting a woman sleeping in the roots of a tree.

"Fancy," Black murmured, and Severus clenched his teeth as his stomach started to churn. _This is far too grand for me_ , he thought, but he followed Black up the ancient wooden stairs and inside just the same.

The interior of the place was slightly less grand than the exterior, but it was still an improvement over anywhere (outside of Hogwarts) that Severus had stayed whilst alive. His anxiety growing, Severus followed Black down several corridors and through at least two well-upholstered common rooms before the man stopped suddenly in front of a heavy wooden door. 

Severus grunted as two of his larger trunks slammed into the back of his knees, and stepped quickly out of the way of the others. Black made an apologetic noise and pushed the door open, revealing a large room. It was clean, though sparsely furnished, and there was already a fire burning in the fireplace at the far end. One wall was broken by a window, which showed a view of a large expanse of water and a small island in the distance. 

"Quite nice, actually, for a first home," Black said, and there was a chorus of _thumps_ and _thuds_ as Severus' bags and trunks fell to the floor. 

Severus looked around the room again, this time noting the door in the wall opposite the fireplace and the neat rows of bookshelves by the window. When Severus pushed the door open he found it led to a well-appointed bathroom, complete with a claw-footed tub, an enormous sink and an ornate mirror. It took a moment for Severus to realize that the gaunt, wild-eyed, and blood-soaked creature reflected in the glass was himself. 

"I'll just go and see about getting you some tea," Black called out, and the tub gurgled to life and started to fill with water. 

Severus closed the door quietly, stripped down, and climbed into the bath. He had to drain and refill the tub twice before the water ran clear, and his skin was red from scrubbing by the time he got out. He was only mildly surprised to find his old clothes had vanished and a simple black robe had appeared in their place.

By the time he emerged from the bathroom, Black had returned and was sitting in one of the two armchairs next to the fire. There were two plates of bread and cheese and two steaming cups of tea on the table beside him. As soon as Severus saw them, he realized he was both starving and perishing of thirst. It took every ounce of his self-control not to run across the room and cram the food in his mouth like a wild animal.

"Is this . . . heaven?" Severus asked a bit later, when his plate and his mug refilled themselves without any deliberate prompting from him.

Black's eyebrows knit together briefly, and he murmured something that sounded like _oh, half-blood, of course_ before setting his mug down. Severus flushed and glared at him, feeling eleven all over again. 

"It's all right, child, you couldn't be expected to know," Black said. "That island over there –" he waved a hand at the window "—is the closest thing wizards have to heaven. You probably know of it as Avalon, or the Summer Isle. The Muggles call it Bardsey Island. You get to go there when you've lost all of your luggage."

Severus took a drink of his tea and turned the idea of _going to heaven_ over in his mind. His scowl deepened as he looked at his things; chucking the boxes and bags out the window probably wasn't going to work, and without his wand he had no way to banish them.

"And how am I to do that?" Severus asked, as a blanket appeared on his lap and a pillow sprouted out of the side of the chair.

"We all go about it differently," Black said, his amused expression so like one of Draco's that it made Severus' stomach hurt. "You'll learn, as we all do."

Severus opened his mouth to demand more information, but his question turned into a yawn without his consent. Black's smile deepened, and his eyes twinkled in a way that was both unsettling and comfortingly familiar.

"Sleep, lad, I'll keep watch," Black said, and Severus did.

** 

The next time Severus opened his eyes, his chair had turned into a low couch, and Alphard Black had disappeared. Sitting in the chair in his place was Albus Dumbledore, reading a thick leather-bound book. The floor between them was covered in bags and trunks in all shapes and sizes. One of them was _chirping._

"Albus," Severus croaked, pushing himself upright. He felt warm and a little dizzy, as if he had a fever. Oddly, he didn't need the loo.

"I've brought you some breakfast, dear boy, I'm sure you must be famished," Albus said, and set the book down. 

Severus looked at the table and saw there were two plates of scones on it, as well as two dishes of sausage, bowls of jam and butter, and two cups of tea. He picked up a sausage and took a careful bite, moaning a little as the hot, savoury juice filled his mouth. Fever or not, he _was_ hungry, and set about eating the meal with as much grace as he could muster.

"Potter . . . Draco . . ." Severus said between bites of sausage, and Albus' smile deepened.

"I suspect I won't get the full story for some time, but it seems Harry has triumphed over Mr. Riddle and over Death," Albus said, and Severus almost choked on his sausage. "With the Elder Wand."

"WHAT?" Severus roared when he could speak again, dizziness forgotten. "He – _how?_ I _died_ so that _Voldemort_ could gain control of the Elder Wand – a wand he already owned, and that worked perfectly well!" He pushed himself up, fists clenched at his sides, only mildly appeased by Albus' stricken expression. 

"I'm so sorry, Severus," Albus said. "I understand now that I should have told you. It was all to do with Mr. Malfoy's wand, you see." 

"Mr. _Malfoy's_ wand?" Severus repeated, then stalked over to the window and pressed his head against the cold glass, only half listening to what the old man was saying. What did it matter _now_ , when he was already dead?

He soon realized that getting up had been a mistake; the dizziness was back, and his head ached abominably. And the impromptu lesson in wand theory was not helping matters. _Foolishness_ , he thought, _all of it_ , and sighed. 

" . . . in the end, I'm told Harry used _Expelliarmus_ , of all things," Albus said. "And as for Mr. Malfoy, I believe he has at last been happily reunited with his parents."

Severus grunted, feeling both too ill to continue the argument as well as distantly grateful that the Lucius and Narcissa had been spared the loss of their child. He opened his eyes a fraction. Despite the thin layer of grime on the window, he could see people outside walking on the promenade that stretched the length of the quay. There were also several boats of various sizes tied up at the docks. All in all it looked almost idyllic.

"I must ask you to excuse me, Severus, as I believe I'm due at work," Albus said a bit later, and Severus felt a hand come to rest on his back. "And then my neighbors have requested my presence at a discussion regarding the cobblestones to be put down on our street."

"Work?" Severus repeated, and squeezed his eyes shut again. Was he ever going to get to _rest?_

"Yes, Severus," Albus said, his voice low and vaguely amused. "I myself assist with keeping Cadfan Square tidy. I suggest you ask for Meggie Greengrass when you go to the job centre – you do know what a job centre is? – and tell her I sent you."

"Yes, Albus," Severus murmured, as a bell tolled outside and the hand on Severus' back shifted to his elbow.

"I'm at Arthur's Seat with Ariana and Gellert," Albus said, and Severus allowed himself to be guided back to the couch. "It's on Whitechapel. Do come and see us sometime, dear boy." 

" _What?_ " Severus spluttered, but Albus was already gone.

Stunned, Severus stared at the empty space where Dumbledore had been for a while before falling back against the pillows. Looking around the room, it was clear there had been some changes overnight. Most notably, the shelves by the window were full of books, which suggested that some of Severus' trunks had unpacked themselves while he was sleeping. He had also gained some furniture; there was a massive wardrobe leaning against the wall that divided the bathroom from the rest of his living space.

Severus curled his knees up against his chest and scrubbed at his face with one hand. The events of the past day (or two?) felt unreal and impossible, as if they had happened to someone else. And now, apparently, he had to go and get a _job_. 

_Later_ , he thought, _five more minutes_ , and promptly fell back to sleep.

**

"Lupin, Remus!" called out a fat little man with a clipboard, and the werewolf stepped forward, his luggage trailing behind him. "Werewolf, is it? How many people did you turn?"

Someone in the line inhaled sharply, and Severus saw Lupin's shoulders stiffen. 

"None, sir," Lupin said, his voice hoarse but steady. 

_Though not for lack of trying_ , Severus thought, his fingers clenching at the memory of the narrow passage and the flashing teeth. _That was your own foolishness and Black's temper and not his fault_ , a small voice whispered in the back of his mind, and Severus snarled at it.

"Hmmph," the little man grunted, and squinted at his clipboard. "You're a veteran, it says here, and you were raised in the Outer Hebrides. I take it know your way around a boat?"

"Yes, sir," the werewolf said. "My mother's family was from there, and –"

"Sail-makers, until you lose some gear," the little man snapped. "As you were." 

Lupin stepped back, and Severus watched the little man make his way down the row, his wrinkled face darkening as Severus' fellow job-seekers confirmed they were, variously, vampires, banshees, goblins, hags, and veelas. Eventually, he came to a halt in front of Severus and gave him a baleful look.

"Snape, Severus?" he asked, and Severus stepped forward, clenching his teeth against the impulse to announce he was _human_ and didn't belong here. "Says here you were a Potions Master, and a –"

"Murderer," someone called out from further up the line, the voice too high to be Lupin. Albus must have visited _him_ as well.

Severus took a steadying breath and risked a look at the man's face. His expression was startled, but not hateful, and went blank as soon as he realized he was being observed. 

" – and a Hogwarts Headmaster," the little man continued, as if he had not been interrupted. "And a veteran as well. Hmmm . . . lots of luggage . . . I don't suppose you actually know anything about boats?"

"No, sir," Severus said, and a wave of indistinct muttering rolled up the line of creatures next to him.

Severus straightened his shoulders, raised his chin and did his best to resist the urge to glare. He was going to _kill_ Albus – again. Severus had patiently answered all of Meggie Greengrass' impertinent questions, tolerated her brazen inspection of his luggage, and _this_ was what he got for his trouble! 

"Sail-makers it is, then," the little man said, and waved Severus back into line. "Right, everyone, I'll expect you all back at seven tomorrow morning, and you'll stay until the last boat leaves at three. You're allowed half hour for lunch and two fifteen minute tea breaks. Repair crew, you'll report directly to me at the dock from now on. Sail-makers, you'll report to Erasmus and Nicholas at the long-house just over there. You're dismissed."

The little man tucked his clipboard under his arm and took off towards the two massive ships moored in the harbor before Severus could ask any questions. Severus narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, unwilling to be seen running after him like a desperate schoolboy.

"The _Mary Rose_ ," Lupin said, his voice coming from a point alarmingly nearby. "And the _Queen Anne's Revenge_. I wonder is that the original _Revenge_ , or –"

"Shut _up_ , Lupin," Severus snarled, suddenly aggravated beyond all reason, and tangled his fingers in his robes to avoid punching Lupin in the face. 

The werewolf blinked at him a couple of times and opened his mouth (to apologize, Severus was sure), then seemed to think better of whatever he had been going to say and closed it again. They stood together for a while, watching the long line of people next to the ships make their way up the gangplanks, and then Lupin murmured something Severus didn't quite catch and walked away.

"Wanker," Severus said, mostly to himself, and sat down on his trunk to watch the vessels sail into the setting sun.

**

"The _Revenge_ again, the _Bombay_ , and the . . . ooh, the _Cutty Sark_ ," Lupin said as they walked up the path to exit the shipyard.

Severus hunched his shoulders against the biting wind blowing off the sea and pretended he wasn't listening. Three days in the long-house had left him with aching joints and sore, dry fingers, and he wanted nothing more than a hot bath, dinner, and his bed. _And someone in the bed_ , murmured a small voice at the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

"And look, Severus, there's the _Carpathia_ and the _Andrea Doria_ over there," Lupin said, and actually tugged at Severus' sleeve. 

Severus yanked his arm away and picked up his pace. Lupin made a soft huffing noise and muttered something that sounded like _bloody git_ , and Severus ignored that as well. Lupin had spent the last three days sitting next to him and trying to make conversation, and Severus was as baffled by this behavior as he had been on the occasions when Lupin had tried it while they were alive. _Why me?_ he wanted to ask. _I don't even like you!_

They walked through the shipyard gates in silence, and then Severus turned to the left, intending to go directly home. He was halfway up the block when he heard a high-pitched squeal and a camera flash went off in his face.

 _Creevey_ , Severus thought, and rubbed his eyes, too tired to muster up a suitably scathing comment. 

"Sorry, Professor, but I wanted a good shot for the _Swan_ ," the boy said when Severus lowered his hands. "You're going to be in the new arrivals section this week. Any comments?" 

"No," Severus said, as repressively as possible. He had only read one edition of the paper so far, and it was as bad, if not worse, than the _Prophet._

"Professor Lupin!" Creevey called out, and Severus heard faint popping noises as the flash went off again. "Where's Mrs. Lupin, then?"

"She is . . . otherwise occupied this evening, Mr. Creevey," Lupin said, sounding as weary and cross as Severus felt. "Now put that camera away."

"But it's for the _Swan_ , Professor," Colin said, earnestness dripping off his tone. 

Severus inhaled, intending to tell the impertinent child that no-one gave a niffler's arse about his sodding paper, when he was abruptly distracted by fingers tugging at his sleeve. He looked down and was surprised to find Lily Evans gazing up at him.

"Hallo, Severus," Lily said, and grinned at him. 

Severus squeezed his eyes shut, counted to ten, and opened them again. She was still there, as beautiful as ever. Her grin widened, and, before he could get away, she stretched up and kissed his cheek. Her lips were warm and soft, and he caught the scent of gillyflowers ( _her shampoo, it really is her, my Lily_ ) as she eased away. 

Creevey made a high-pitched noise and babbled something about _You'll be on the front page!_ while taking yet more pictures. Lily opened her mouth, and Severus was sure she was talking, but he couldn't hear her over the sound of his blood roaring in his ears. Someone ( _Lily?_ ) took his hand and led him into the . . . house? _No,_ Severus decided, looking around, _it's a pub._

In any case, it was warm, and the air was full of delicious smells. It was also, mercifully, almost completely empty. Severus lowered himself onto one of the benches and pressed his hands against his eyes, concentrating on breathing. He heard faint clicking noises that suggested his luggage was stacking itself up neatly, followed by a muffled crash from somewhere behind him. The next thing he knew, James Potter was standing in front of him, an enormous black dog ( _Black?_ ) sitting beside him and the werewolf hovering behind them, as usual. There were also several odd-looking bags floating at his heels. 

"Hallo, Snape. Welcome to Aberdaron," Potter said, actually sounding pleased to see him. 

He stuck out his hand, and Severus shook it before he could stop himself.

"I just wanted to say thank you for looking after my son, and . . . I'm sorry for being such an arse while we were in school," Potter said, his ears turning pink. "We – I was cruel to you, and I knew it, and I did it anyway, and I shouldn't have."

Stunned, Severus looked from Lily to Potter and back to Lily again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that one of the trunks floating behind Potter had started shrinking. The dog seemed to be studying his paws, and Lupin looked vaguely relieved.

"I'm sorry, Snape," Potter said, slightly louder. "For everything."

"It was me who gave the prophecy to the Dark Lord," Severus said, and coughed, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. "I didn't hear the whole thing– I didn't – as soon as I realised, I asked him to spare . . . her." He glanced at Lily, but her expression was unreadable. "But I told Albus, I asked him – Pettigrew –"

"Yes," Potter said, his voice low and almost soft. "We know. I worked out what had happened – well, part of it – as soon as we came through. Regulus explained a few things, Sirius told us a bit when he turned up, and then Albus and Remus filled in the rest." 

Severus gave Potter a long look; it was odd, and almost comforting, to see him with his own hazel eyes and unmarked forehead beneath his still unruly hair. Lily inched closer and put her hand on Severus' back, and he turned to face her. 

She looked just as she had the last time he'd seen her . . . well, maybe not the _last_ time. An image of her dead, empty face flashed in front of his eyes and he jerked away from her. She put a hand on his back and Severus curled over his knees, hoping they couldn't see the tears on his face. He wanted to gather her close and just . . . inhale her. _Lily, Lily, my Lily._ He also kind of wanted to run away, as far and as fast as he could, but he couldn't get his legs to work.

"Come on, lads, let's get the drinks in," Potter said, slightly too loudly, and swept off towards the bar with the werewolf in tow. The dog ( _Black, it had to be Black_ ) gave Severus a baleful look and trailed after him.

"Hush, it's all right," Lily murmured, and pulled him close, so that his face was hidden against her neck. 

Severus clutched helplessly at her shoulder, ashamed of himself but unable to stop. _Lily, Lily, my Lily . . ._ She rubbed his back and petted his hair until he was down to hiccoughs, and clucked at him when he tried to apologize.

"Happens to everyone," she said softly, wiping his face with the edge of her sleeve and pressing a cold glass of water into his hands. "I was wreck after I saw my mum for the first time, and James went completely to pieces when Sirius came through. Now, tell me, are you settling in all right?"

Severus shrugged one shoulder and drank the water. When the glass was empty, he opened his mouth intending to say _I'm sorry I called you that awful name_ , but "I was horrible to your son" came out instead.

She went very still, and Severus wondered if she could hear the way his heart was pounding and if it was still physically possible for him to be sick.

" _You_ didn't make him live in a cupboard, Severus," she said after a while, her eyes going as flat and hard as her son's had so many times before. 

Severus nodded and looked at the floor, where the bags at her feet were rearranging themselves amid much hissing and clicking. One of the more aggressive satchels had a doll baby sticking out of it, and some of the trunks had elaborate floral decorations painted on them. Severus was just starting to relax when Potter came back and started talking again.

"Stay and eat with us, Snape," he said, as Lily's hand settled on Severus' back and began moving in small circles. "Tell us more about Harry. Moony and Padfoot didn't have much time with him, and, well, you know how Albus is . . . "

"Merlin, do I ever," Severus muttered.

Lily snorted and tugged gently on his hair, and Severus edged closer to her warmth. His chest ached, and he still felt like he might be sick, but he also felt lighter somehow, as if a burden had been lifted. 

"So," Potter said, from the other side of the table, and Severus realized they had all sat down and that the dishes had filled with food. "He was good at Quidditch?"

"Youngest Seeker in a century," Severus murmured as he straightened up and turned around. Potter's face lit up, and Severus discovered he didn't want to hex him quite as much as he had before.

**

 _Bang!_

Severus paused, one foot on the stairs, and cocked his head to one side. It seemed unlikely – laughably so, even – that the noise coming from the common room behind him had been made by an exploding cauldron. 

When several moments had passed and he had heard nothing but muted cooking noises from the flat nearest the landing, Severus gave himself a little shake and continued his ascent. He had only managed a few more steps when he heard another loud bang, followed by two sharp popping noises and a muffled thud.

Severus turned slowly and scowled at the door until curiosity overrode weariness and propelled him back down the stairs. He had a hand raised to knock when the door swung open of its own accord, revealing a small figure ( _a woman – no, a girl_ ) with long, dirty-blonde hair who was, indeed, hunched over a smoking cauldron amid a widening puddle of yellow-green liquid, a stick ( _not a wand_ ) tucked behind her ear.

"Miss Lovegood?" he said, startled ( _alive, you were alive when I saw you last_ ), a sick feeling settling into his stomach. 

"Useless things, turnips," she murmured, and straightened up, revealing that though she was wearing radish earrings, her eyes were brown, not blue, and her face was decidedly sharper than that of his former student. "I don't suppose _you've_ brought me any maggots?"

Severus stared at her for a moment, baffled and relieved, then took a tentative step into the room. Unlike the other common rooms that he had seen in the building, it was full of mismatched furnishings in competing colors. There was also a table covered by a pink and blue tablecloth that was groaning under the weight of an enormous silver tea service and several trays of baked goods.

"I'm Soleil Lovegood. You must have taught my daughter," the woman said, the corner of her mouth crooking up into a smile. 

"Yes," Severus said, grateful to be back on familiar conversational ground. 

As soon as Creevey had put his picture in the paper he had, among other things, been subject to several impromptu parent-teacher conferences. He had been especially surprised to discover that Caradoc Dearborn, of all people, was Dean Thomas' father.

"She was . . ." he began, then stopped, remembering the precise manner in which the younger Lovegood had organized Potions ingredients on her workbench and the jut of her jaw every time she had faced down Amycus Carrow. "She was extraordinary."

"And quite good with magical creatures," Lupin said from behind him, and Severus' luggage flew up and bounced off the ceiling before settling back around his ankles. "I'm sorry, Severus, I didn't mean to startle you. Any joy, Soleil?"

"We'll have to see if anyone's fishing tomorrow," Soleil said, and did something with her hand that caused the mess on the floor to disappear. 

Lupin made a thoughtful noise as he came into the room, and Severus watched him warily while trying to work out what _fishing_ had to do with anything. He and Lupin had achieved a kind of truce in the long-house, in the sense that after several weeks of listening to Lupin singing sea chanteys and rabbiting on about ships, Severus had come to . . . well, _enjoy it_ was overstating the case. He had reached a point where it had become soothing background noise, like having Quidditch or a music programme on the wireless while he was brewing. In fact, Severus had caught himself humming along to a song about leaving Liverpool just that morning, though he had stopped as soon as he realized what he was doing.

Lupin, for his part, seemed content to have an audience that only heckled him occasionally. He also seemed to be gratefully amused that Severus' glare was still sufficient to keep the veelas and the banshees at bay. Severus, who had had to put up with much worse for far less return, considered it a tolerable bargain.

"Are you here for the meeting as well, Severus?" Lupin asked, crossing to the table and picking up one of the tea cups.

"Meeting?" Severus repeated, and accepted a chocolate biscuit from Lovegood. 

"The Demeter and Persephone Society," Soleil said, her eyes clouding, and Lupin raised his chin as if daring Severus to make a comment. "The name isn't quite right, but – anyway, there's always room for one more."

"Oh," Severus said. "No – I – I was going home. I – heard the cauldron . . ." he trailed off into silence and looked at the floor, inexplicably embarrassed.

"It isn't a _long_ meeting – just an hour, generally. And some of us hang around a bit, afterwards," Soleil said, her tone brightening. "You could come back again later, for a cup of tea and sit-down, if you like."

Severus shifted uneasily from one foot to the other and glanced from her to Lupin and back again. Part of him was grateful for any opportunity to escape the echoing silence of his flat, even one that required him to spend time with Lupin; part of him was dreading the moment, surely coming, when one of them was going burst out laughing.

"There's another cauldron in the cupboard in the back of the room," Lupin said, his face relaxing into more familiar lines as he settled himself in one of the armchairs. "I can pull it out if you want to help Soleil and me with our experiment."

"All right," Severus said, unable to resist an opportunity to brew, or . . . whatever it was Lovegood had been doing with the cauldron.

"Don't forget the maggots!" Lovegood called out as he left, and Severus permitted himself a smile as he made his way to his rooms.

**

"RULE! Britannia. BRITANNIA! Rules the _waves_." Whoever it was sounded as if he were both very, very drunk and from Newcastle. 

" _GREEN_ sleeves . . . ah, bugger, can't remember the rest." The second voice was also male, and had a heavy London accent.

Severus pulled a pillow over his head and groaned. Despite the pillow, he could see that the clock on his bedside table was showing the time as _2:30 AM_ , the numbers shining brightly in the dimness of his room. He pulled his knees closer to his chest and took a couple of slow breaths, listening to the rain on the roof and trying to relax. There was no way to cast a silencing spell, and shouting at them would only make them sing louder; he would just have to endure.

"Never liked that one anyway," the first man said, and belched. "Not a proper carol, is it? Oh _first tree_ in the green-wood, it was the –"

"Not a proper _carol?_ What're you like?" the second man interrupted, and Severus listened to them argue for a full five minutes before he gave up on sleeping and got up.

First, Severus tried pacing in his room, but gave that up as well after tripping over his luggage for the fourth time. Next he tried a hot bath and a quick wank, but his cock remained stubbornly flaccid in his hand no matter who he thought of, and the minty smell of the lube ( _why_ had he let Lovegood talk him into producing one with a scent?) did nothing but make his headache worse. He got out of the tub and pulled on a clean robe, intending to settle down with a book, and the men outside started singing the Coventry Carol in rounds. 

Severus sat down on his bed and pressed the heel of his against his aching eyes, overcome with a fierce longing for the Hogwarts kitchens and their bottomless pots of chamomile tea. Two breaths later, he remembered the massive, ever-present tea service and plates of food in the common room beneath him, and got up to go downstairs. He was halfway across the landing when he noticed the door was ajar, and he could see candles flickering in the darkness.

Severus hesitated briefly, then gave himself a shake ( _it's not a private room!_ ) and pushed the door open. He was surprised ( _pleased?_ ) to find Lupin curled up in one of the overstuffed chairs sleeping, surrounded by his luggage. There was less of it than Severus remembered, but some of the trunks and the diaper bag seemed to have gotten larger. 

Lupin himself was paler than usual, and there were dark smudges under his eyes. His hair was wet and tangled, and he looked very small in the chair. Severus scanned the floor quickly, and, finding no evidence of any dogs, moved to the table to make himself a cup of tea. He was stirring in the sugar when he heard rustling behind him, and Lupin coughed softly.

"Hallo, Severus," Lupin said, his voice slightly rougher than usual, and Severus turned to face him. "It would seem you and I are going to be neighbours."

"You've left your wife again?" Severus asked, startled, and then felt an odd sharp pang when Lupin's face tightened.

"We decided we would be happier apart," Lupin said softly. "She's moved in with Fred and the Prewetts until she finds her own place, and I . . . well, there're beds at the pub, but I think I've trespassed on James' good nature enough. Alphard said there was a room open here, so I took it."

Severus picked a scone off the pile next to the tea service and opened his mouth, intending to say _Are you all right?_ but "Whatever did possess you to take up with a – with the woman?" came out instead.

"I was . . . lost, I suppose," Lupin said, his mouth curving into a grim smile. "Minerva was so badly injured and my alpha had just died . . ." he paused and scrubbed at his face, and Severus blinked several times, at both the "had died" instead of "been murdered", and the idea of Dumbledore as an _alpha werewolf._

"I didn't know what was going to happen to me, or the Order, or . . ." Lupin stopped again, and sighed. "I'm not proud of it, Severus, but taking up with Tonks seemed, at the time, less awful than going back to being completely alone. I suppose I thought that if nothing else it would keep me close to Harry." 

"You didn't love her at all?" Severus said, perhaps more sharply than he had intended, and Lupin flushed.

"I . . . yes, Severus, of course I loved – love her, and Teddy," Lupin said, his tone hard at first, then turning softer. "But not – not in the way I should, or in the way she deserves. I did try to tell her several times before – and I've apologized since, as well, but . . . " Lupin trailed off into silence again. "Like I said, I'm not proud of myself."

Severus _hmm_ 'd softly, then sat down in a nearby chair and sipped at his tea, not quite sure what else to do. 

"For a long time I thought . . . preferring men . . . was part of the curse," Lupin said a bit later, his voice barely audible. "Another unnatural desire that came with being a Dark Creature. And given Fenrir's proclivities, it didn't seem so far-fetched." 

Severus ducked his head and took another drink of his tea, dimly aware that his one of his larger trunks was butting against his ankle. He kicked at it and it skittered away briefly before coming back to rest by his feet. Severus glared at it, stomach roiling, then realized Lupin was looking at him, a question and an answer both visible in his expression.

"I blamed it on the Dark Mark," Severus said, choking a little on the words, and the trunk shrank to half its previous size. 

Lupin made a startled noise, but his expression was more relieved than horrified. There was a long silence, and Severus tightened his grip on his mug, trying to think of something, anything else to talk about.

"You've . . . told your friends that you've moved?" he managed after a while, and Lupin gave him an awkward half-shrug.

"I'll stop by the pub tomorrow, I suppose," Lupin said. "Though after this last month, I don't think it will be much of a surprise. Nymphadora, like the rest of the Black family, is world-class at throwing wobblers and complete crap at keeping secrets."

"I knew what you were well before Black tried to kill me," Severus snapped, and immediately wished he hadn't. 

"You . . . _what?_ " Lupin growled, and two more candles flared to life. "And you _went in anyway?_ " Lupin sat up a little straighter, and Severus found he was bizarrely relieved to see two bright pink spots bloom on his face. "I – James could have _died_ – you can be such an _arse_ , Severus."

Severus glared back at him as the memory of black rage and abject terror rolled over him again, and a familiar surge of irritation (and, perhaps, shame) at having been rescued by a Gryffindor in general and _Potter_ in particular shot up his spine. _You realize that without Mr. Potter's timely intervention you could have been killed, Mister Snape, and caused your fellow students to be gravely injured, or worse?_ Albus had said at the time, as if Black had not willfully sent Severus to be killed by a vicious animal that Albus himself had admitted to the school! 

_A vicious animal with a talent for Charms_ , murmured a small voice in the back of Severus' mind, and he stood up. _A vicious animal who risked his own life as a spy, just as you did, and who died defending Hogwarts._ Severus stalked over to the table and picked up another scone, aware of Lupin's eyes on his back. Severus stood still for a while, thinking of evenings spent hunched over a cauldron with Lovegood while Lupin fetched ingredients and the way Lupin's grin sometimes caused his stomach to turn over in the same way that Lily's did, and realized with a little jolt that he would miss those things – he would miss _Lupin_ – if they were taken away.

"I suppose I could have made . . . better choices," Severus muttered, and one of his smaller bags disappeared with a faint _pop!_

"So could we all," Lupin murmured, sounding as if all of the fight had gone out of him.

Severus was debating a reply to that when the door creaked open and a big black dog walked in. The animal ( _wizard_ ) turned and looked at Severus, his grey eyes glittering in the candlelight, then padded over to stand in front of him. Severus backed up against the table, wondering how much the dog had overheard, and what, exactly, would happen if he decided to bite. 

"Padfoot," Lupin said, a warning in his tone, but the dog ignored him in favor of taking another step closer to Severus, and then, to Severus' shock, extending his head and licking his fingers.

"Why does he not change back?" Severus asked when the dog walked over and flopped down in front of Lupin, pleased that his voice was steady.

"We don't know, really," Lupin said, uncurling just enough to rest a foot between the animal's shoulders. "Regulus convinced him to go see their parents one day, and he came back this way. James asked Regulus what happened, but he refused to say anything. Lily reckons he'll turn back when he's ready."

"I see," Severus murmured, and sat down on one of his trunks to eat the scone. 

Lupin didn't answer, and when Severus looked up a few minutes later, he saw Lupin had fallen back to sleep with his foot still on the dog. Severus stood up and brushed the crumbs off of his lap, then scooped a blanket off another nearby chair and settled it over Lupin's shoulders before returning to his room.

** 

"FIREBEARERS, LAY THE LIGHTS!" Brendan called out in a high clear voice, and Severus saw two figures carrying flaming torches step out of the crowd. 

The figures turned and the torches dipped, and Severus heard a muffled _whumph!_ as the fire jumped onto the first of a long line of stacked cords of wood. The figures raised the torches, then turned and walked forward, repeating their task at intervals until all of the wood was alight and the rows of fire seemed to stretch to the end of the earth.

"CREATURES OF THE FIELD AND FOREST!" Col bellowed, and a stag walked out of the scrum at the head of the column and stopped, his massive antlers gleaming in the flames. 

A moment later Lily emerged from the crowd and Severus rose up on his toes, squinting into the flickering shadows to watch the stag bend its knee and lower its massive head so that she could throw her leg over his broad shoulders. When she was seated, the animal straightened up and started walking down the path, followed by a motley collection of animals.

Severus counted two horses, an ox, a massive owl ( _that must have been awkward_ ) and several large cats before a dull ache in his toes forced him back to his feet. He held still as the line shimmied and shook as two more groups ( _Creatures of the Hearth! Boatwrights!_ ) were called, and then finally, finally, it was their turn. 

Erasmus and Nicholas stepped forward first, carrying a massive spool of thread between them, the firelight making their white hair gleam gold. Lupin stepped forward next, a gigantic needle resting against his shoulder, followed by Severus and the others, who were bearing a sail between them. As they began to move, Lupin started singing yet another song about a boat (slightly off key, as usual) and Severus felt wave of affection for the man roll over him. He tightened his grip on the sail and fought the urge to run all the way to the broad plain at the edge of the ocean, where the ships and the feast were waiting. 

After much stopping and starting and tripping over luggage, they emerged from the path between the fires and into the center of a mad swirl of people. Several men in white robes came and took the sail and the needle away, and then Soleil Lovegood appeared in front of Severus holding a plate full of apples and insisted he eat one. He had managed one bite when Lupin walked up and pressed a cup of something hot and smelling of spices into his hand.

"It's cider, Severus, now drink up," Lupin said, his eyes bright and happy for the first time that Severus could remember, and he drank. 

After that, Lovegood came back and dragged him into the dancing, and the evening became a blur of stomping feet and swirling robes. Eventually, she let him go, and Severus found himself standing amid a sea of blankets and mismatched suitcases, dizzy from the heat of the fire and mulled cider and yet slightly cold at the same time.

"Severus!" Lily called out, and he spun in a slow circle, looking for her red hair.

"Severus, over here!" That was Lupin, and they were . . . _oh, there, by the tree, with the stag and the dog._

Lily waved at him, and Severus hiked up his robes and picked his way between the mounds of luggage until he was at the edge of their blanket. Lupin and Lily were leaning against the stag's broad body, and the dog was lying between them, his head on his paws.

"Come and sit, Severus," Lily said, pulling her legs up to free up more blanket, while Lupin fussed with their picnic basket. 

Severus hesitated, glancing from the stag to the dog to Lupin to Lily, and then back to the stag again. The stag blinked at Severus and nodded his massive head, and the dog made a long-suffering noise before getting up and flopping down on the other side of Lupin. Lupin clucked softly at the dog and scratched him behind the ears, and Severus settled down in the open space, still not quite ready to believe what was happening.

He looked at Lily, who winked at him and squeezed his knee, and then at Lupin, who held out a sandwich, his mouth curved in a faint smile, one eyebrow arched in silent inquiry. Severus took the sandwich and settled back against the stag, content to be quiet while the others chattered around him. Several people stopped by the blanket while Severus was eating, including Creevey, who insisted on taking numerous pictures, and a Prewett (he still couldn't tell them apart) who also accepted a sandwich from Lupin before carrying Lily off to the dancing. 

She came back just as the fire was starting to burn down, flushed, laughing and arm in arm with Regulus Black, who swooped down and surprised Severus with a hug. Severus was too stunned to do much more than squeeze him tightly before the musicians traded their drums for fiddles, and Regulus broke away to curl himself into the space between Lupin and the dog.

A tin whistle joined the fiddles, and Severus yawned hugely and let his head fall onto his knees, suddenly exhausted, but too warm and content to contemplate getting up and leaving. He was almost asleep when he felt both Lupin and Lily shift, and an arm curled around his shoulders, moving him so that he was lying against something bony and solid. Severus made a sleepy, puzzled noise, and then he felt Lily's hand on his back, rubbing in slow circles, and dry, chapped lips ( _Lupin?_ ) ghosted over his forehead, and he knew no more.

**

Two days later, Severus was re-shelving books when he heard a muffled thump from the corridor, followed by a much louder thud that sounded like something heavy hitting the floor. Alarmed, he set the volume he was holding to the side and moved to open the door. Lovegood and her exploding cauldrons aside, it wasn't as if anyone could really do themselves a serious injury, but still . . .

"What is the – " Severus began, then fell silent when he realized it was Lupin who was squinting at him in the dim light, and the noise was the result of three of the trunks that normally floated behind him being locked in a fierce battle in the middle of the corridor.

Severus blinked a couple of times, then frowned faintly when he realized that the werewolf was dripping on the hall carpet. Lupin flushed pink and plucked at the folds of his robe, and Severus noticed there were cuts and scrapes on his hands, and an already-purpling bruise was visible on one of his cheekbones.

"You're all wet," Severus said, and smoothed his hands over his robes.

"Col had Brendan and I testing boats earlier and I fell in," Lupin said, and ran a hand through his hair. "I was just trying to . . ." Lupin paused and gave himself a shake. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

"Would you like some tea?" Severus asked, and one of Lupin's trunks rammed the other two before dropping to the floor. 

Lupin flinched at the noise and massaged his temples. "All right," he murmured, and Severus took a step back to let him into the room.

"There's dry robes in the wardrobe," Severus said, then crossed the room and pulled two mugs out of the cabinet to have something to do with his hands. He watched as they filled with tea (and, from the smell, something a bit stronger as well) and focused on keeping his breathing steady. 

By the time Severus turned around, Lupin had gotten changed and was sitting on the couch. Severus brought the mugs over and handed one to Lupin, his eyes narrowing when he noticed there were also scrapes and scratches on Lupin's face. 

"Mmm, thank you, Severus," Lupin said, curling his fingers around the mug. "I swear Brendan tipped us over on purpose, the wee sod."

Severus _hmmphed_ into his mug, then went into the bathroom to get some salve for Lupin's cuts. When he came out again, Lupin had shucked his boots and rearranged himself so that he was curled up against the back of the couch with his feet underneath him. _He looks tired_ , Severus thought, then set his mug on the table and sat down on the couch.

"Hands," he barked, when Lupin looked up. 

"I'm fine, Severus, really," Lupin muttered, but didn't resist when Severus pushed back the sleeves of the borrowed robes and rubbed the salve over his bruised knuckles.

By the time Severus finished, Lupin was smiling and his eyes were almost completely closed. Severus started to pull his hand back, but Lupin held on, his thumb moving in slow circles over skin that had grown rough working with canvas. Severus took a steadying breath, but didn't move, acutely aware of the warm, tingling sensation spreading through his limbs. 

Sometime later, Severus became aware of muted clicking and scraping from the direction of floor. He looked down in time to see two of the three of Lupin's trunks that had been involved in the battle in the corridor had shrunk and were fitting themselves neatly into the third, and that two of his own satchels had also grown much smaller.

Severus looked back at Lupin again, considering, then edged closer and pulled him down against his chest. Lupin coughed and sighed and burrowed closer, and Severus kissed the top of his head and the start of the wide grey streak at his temples without stopping to think about what he was doing.

Lupin went very still for a moment, and Severus was loosening his grip, preparing to apologize, when Lupin tilted his head up and kissed him on the mouth. At first, Severus was too startled to respond, but he recovered quickly, opening his mouth to let Lupin in and squeezing him gently at the same time. Lupin sighed again and sat up just enough to curl a hand around Severus' neck, then deepened the kiss.

 _Hmmm_ , Severus thought, dimly aware of more clicking from the floor, and tightened his grip before moving off of Lupin's mouth to plant a trail of kisses from his chin to the soft place behind his ear. Lupin made a small, startled noise and clawed at Severus' shoulder, and Severus pulled back, wondering if the werewolf had more bruises that were hidden by the robes.

"All right, Lupin?" Severus asked, rubbing a hand down Lupin's back and listening carefully for changes in breathing.

"All right, Severus," Lupin murmured, chuckling softly, and after that, there was no more talking.


End file.
